Idle thoughts...

So maybe because it's Thursday, I'm going through Idol withdrawal. I mean, is 2 nights a week really enough??? Ok, Ok, it probably is, but for the 3rd night in a week, the superstar-making-machine is on my mind. Or at least, their wardrobe is. The notion that American Idol contestants need some help in the styling dept. is nothing new. And I'm certainly not the first person in the world 2 point this out (2 fashionistas I happen to know actually wrote a letter to the producers, pleading to let them help style the contestants.) I mean, it IS supposed to be about the singing, but how many people would you buy albums from that had a fashion sense that made your stomach turn? (Paris Hilton's album sales should more than make my point for me.) Recent Britney appearances aside, Spears' famous schoolgirl-gone-bad outfit helped mark her place in pop superstardom. And Gwen Stefani is as famous for fashion as she is for her singing.

So let's explore why American Idol seemingly doesn't put any emphasis at all on what its contestants are wearing. I get it, they want them to have their own personal style. But Ramiele's high waisted shorts/off-the shoulder top outfit last night made her teeny tiny frame look even SHORTER by cutting her off in the middle. NOT flattering, honey. And Irish-born Carly Smithson actually BLAMED her poor performance on a pair of Spanx. Who in the world would encourage a singer to don a pair of tighter than tight bike shorts that actually RESTRICT breathing?? I can't imagine singing from the diaphram when you're wrapped up like sausage in a casing. That brings me to my next point - it was important for her to look THIN, but not necessarily STYLISH. That's more evident in our culture than ever these days. Most of the celebs I encounter are so thin, they almost look like bobbleheads because their bodies are so tiny their heads look abnormally large. Soon we'll be watching Eating Disorder Idol instead. But that's a whole other blog entry. Back to my original point. Let's face it - American Idol is NOT entirely about the singing. It's about the total "pop package." Good voice, good looks and overall popularity. We don't need to discover the next singer-turned-fashion-icon like Gwen Stefani but at least these kids can wear some duds they won't look back on in 20 years and regret. Or in the very least, someone can tell them that what they are wearing isn't flattering to them on-camera. Season after season, I wonder why NO ONE cares to even tell them. Considering that these kids are the reasons why millions of viewers tune in each week (and in turn, the show makes more money than an entire Miley Cyrus concert tour.) Once they get out into the real world and figure it out, suddenly they're so coiffed and groomed and styled, they're barely reminiscent of their idol selves. And THAT'S a good thing :-)